


An Apple A Day

by ViolaMoon



Series: A little bit of love and everything [6]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: An apple a day keeps the doctor away, Drapple (Harry Potter), F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2019-08-27
Packaged: 2020-09-27 20:16:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20413690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViolaMoon/pseuds/ViolaMoon
Summary: Hermione doesn't understand why Draco is being so nice to her; leaving her apples, teasing her about her study habits, telling her to take care of herself.





	An Apple A Day

**Author's Note:**

> A/N:
> 
> Submission for the Houses Competition
> 
> Team: Badgers
> 
> Subject: Charms
> 
> Category: Standard
> 
> Prompt: [Speech] "How is it possible that someone as intelligent as (you/Name) can be so unfathomably dense?"
> 
> Word Count: 1930
> 
> Submission for HSWW(C&A):
> 
> Assignment 2 – Game Development task 2 - Write about competing for someone's affections

Hermione hadn't known what to expect when she had returned to Hogwarts for her seventh year after the war. Especially upon learning that she was Head girl and had to share a dormitory with the Head boy – who just happened to be Draco Malfoy. He had been placed on probation; he was to attend school, be on his best behaviour, and then he wouldn't be sent to Azkaban like his father. She had expected to be cursed or called a Mudblood daily. To her surprise, life with the Slytherin Prince was nothing like that.

"Morning, Hermione," Draco drawled, from the sofa of their common room. He sat with a cup of tea in one hand and a copy of the Daily Prophet in the other. He placed his cup down before shaking the paper to open it and skimming the page casually. Hermione didn't understand how he looked so pristine and put-together so early in the morning when she was barely able to get her hair to behave. She was not a morning person.

"Morning," Hermione croaked, she had stayed up late studying the night before, and now her throat felt a little sore.

Draco raised an eyebrow in what Hermione read to be fake curiosity. "You were up studying again, weren't you?" he asked, "I know that you are a know-it-all, but even know-it-all's need breaks every now and then." He smiled at her, in his usual charming way.

"Yes, well, unlike some people, I want to do well this year." Hermione made a cup of tea and headed back to her room; she had to get ready for class. She didn't have time to deal with a charming Draco Malfoy today, particularly a Draco Malfoy she didn't understand. It was one thing when he was a racist and a bully, but this man was a different creature entirely.

Xx

Hermione thought little of their conversation that morning. It was the same thing each morning; Draco teased her study habits, yet he was nice… He made her cups of tea, he put a blanket over her when she fell asleep reading on the sofa. He was civil and pleasant company, when he wasn't so playful, that is.

That evening, she chose to come back to the head dormitory early. She just wanted to read a good book and rest as she was feeling a bit under the weather. Draco was probably right about her working too hard. But she wouldn't let him know that.

To Hermione's surprise, something was placed on her desk. A large, shiny, delicious, red apple. A note lay beside it, written in sophisticated, cursive writing.

_An apple a day keeps the doctor away._

_Isn't that what the Muggles say?_

Hermione picked up the apple and took a large bite, it was juicy and sweet. Just the thing for her tired body. She picked up the note and studied it for a moment, it was him without a doubt. Only Draco had access to her room, but why would he give her this? Her only answer was so that he didn't have to do head duties by himself. Why else would he be kind to her, it didn't make sense. He didn't like her, his entire upbringing said so.

"Hey, Draco?" Hermione called out to him later that day as she sat in the common room. She had seen him go into his room just a few minutes before.

"Yes, Granger?" he answered back, sticking his head out of the doorway. He wore a soft smile that Hermione couldn't read before it changed to his usual steely expression. It was as if he had slipped up and he hadn't meant to show her that. That smile, it gave her goosebumps, but she ignored it. She was cold, maybe it was just that.

"Thank you for the apple." She smiled as she lifted up the apple core. "It was delicious, just what I needed."

Draco nodded, gave a sort of grunt as if to say, 'You're welcome'. His head disappeared, but his voice remained, "I couldn't exactly have the golden girl collapse on my watch, now could I?"

Days passed into weeks, and with it, the apples kept appearing. Often with a note telling Hermione to take care of herself and a snarky comment about not wanting to have to do all the work himself. At least he was still his snide old self. Hermione appreciated his kindness, but at the same time, she didn't know what to make of his actions.

She started to look forward to her afternoon apple each day, not that it slowed down her study habits. It was N.E.W.T.s year after all. Hermione hadn't worked so hard all these years to give up now. This was the finishing line; it was her moment to shine.

But the year on the run plus all the late nights were taking their toll. Hermione was tired all the time, and she was losing weight. 'I'll be fine,' Hermione thought to herself as she walked to Potions one day. Sure, she was feeling a bit under the weather, but a good night's sleep was all she needed. She hadn't noticed her blonde colleague watching her from a distance, with a look of concern on his face.

They got their instructions from Professor Slughorn; they were to try to brew a standard antidote. It was something that Hermione could do in her sleep, except for some reason, her eyes couldn't focus on anything, and her head hurt. It is just the fumes from the potions, she thought. She was fine. She didn't want to miss class.

The next thing she knew, she woke up in the hospital wing with Ginny at her side. "Well, good morning sunshine." She smiled at Hermione. Hermione was confused, what had happened. She looked over at the clock on the wall, it was now close to four in the afternoon. She had missed all her classes! Hermione sunk into her bed, ignoring Ginny as panic and self-loathing washed over her. How much would she need to do to catch up?

Madam Pomfrey came over and told her, "You are overdoing it, Miss Granger!" The matron tutted. "Malnourished, sleep-deprived, dehydrated!" She placed an array of potions in front of Hermione and then proceeded to feed her them, one by one. "You are to stay here for the next five days," she ordered.

"No, I can't! I can't miss classes!" Hermione exclaimed. She felt her chest contract as fear of failing filled her. She felt a small hand slip into hers, Ginny's hand.

"Granger, do what she says." He was standing in the doorway, Draco, holding her bag and an apple. "I will collect your notes, do the head duties, and anything else that crops up."

He placed the bag on the table beside her bed and the apple in front of her. "Get some rest, Hermione." His smile was soft again, and Hermione felt herself blushing, it must be the potions and her exhaustion.

Ginny looked from Draco to Hermione and grinned in a sort of all-knowing way. Once Draco and the matron were out of earshot, she asked, "Er… Hermione? What is going on between you and Malfoy?"

Hermione looked at her, curiously. "What do you mean? Nothing is going on… he is just helping me as he should as head boy."

Ginny raised an eyebrow, "Would any other head boy have raced to catch you when you collapsed? Would any other classmate have carried you to the hospital wing and then taken notes for you in every class today?"

Hermione shrugged; she had wondered what had gotten into him. He was being nice, but she didn't know what to think. She was so preoccupied with classes, with proving that coming back without Ron and Harry was the right choice, that she hadn't noticed how much Draco had changed, how much he did for her.

"How is it possible that someone as intelligent as you, can be so unfathomably dense?" Ginny asked, shaking her head. "Draco Malfoy likes you! He isn't nice for no reason, he is a Slytherin, you know." Ginny giggled at Hermione, and when she looked in the mirror, she saw why. She looked bewildered, to put it mildly.

"The bigger question is, how do you feel?" Ginny asked, but Hermione had no answer. As always, she needed time to think.

Xx

Each day, like clockwork, Draco visited her in the hospital wing. Each time with a stack of papers and an apple. He then sat and regaled her on what had happened that day. He refused to leave until she had eaten the apple plus the dinner that Madam Pomfrey brought her.

After Ginny had informed her of how Draco felt (or at least how she thought he felt), the question of her feelings for him filled her mind. Sure, she enjoyed his company now, and she liked that he was so nice to her. But was there more to it than that?

Hermione arrived back at her dormitory after her hospital stay. It was in the middle of the day, so everyone was in class. That was good, Hermione could spend some time studying before dinner, and she needed the time to think.

Hermione knew all too well that she could be stubborn and a bit blind when it came to relationships, she was better with books than people. But even she could see now that Draco treated her differently than everyone else. He didn't go to such lengths with anyone else…, did that really mean what Ginny thought it did?

It seemed to her that he was competing for her affections every day, despite her stubborn nature. He was both competing for her and against her. Why hadn't she seen it before? He liked her… and she liked him too.

She placed her bag on her bed and sat down next to it. It was there she saw it, the apple and the note:

_Welcome home_

_Have an apple and a nap, and we will talk later._

_Draco._

She ate her apple with a goofy smile on her face. He wanted to talk to her. With the help of a sleeping potion, she slept for the rest of the afternoon. Upon waking, she drifted into the common room, still feeling the effects of the potion but feeling lighter than she had done for a long time.

"Well hello there, sleepyhead," Draco said from his laidback position on the sofa. He was lying down, with a book levitating above his head. Draco pulled the book out of the air, and sat up, he patted the sofa beside him.

Hermione sat down, suddenly feeling very nervous. She played with her hands as she was suddenly aware of his presence beside her.

"You certainly look a lot better," he said, giving her a once over, "I'm glad you are better, it was too quiet around here." He was looking at her in a way she had only seen in passing. She finally understood what it meant. It was his concerned face. He was worried about her.

It was then that she did something out of character. She crossed the divide and kissed him. It just felt right, and she was relieved when he kissed her back. Her mind quietened, and she relaxed. He really did like her, and she liked him back. She didn't know what the future would hold, but she knew this, he was there for her, and he tasted like apples.


End file.
